trouble shooting.doc.docx
Content
Hardware Troubleshooting
AIM: To be given a PC that does not boot due to improper assembly or defective peripherals. They should identify the problem and fix it to get the computer back to working condition. 1. What Can I Do If I Forget My BIOS Password and I Can’t Access It? Use default passwords. Most BIOS manufacturers have a back-door password that can be used to bypass the password you put in place. A quick search on the web for “BIOS default passwords” will turn up hundreds. Use password cracking software. Some clever people have written programs that allow you to crack the BIOS password. Use the jumper. Most motherboard manufacturers provide you with a jumper on the motherboard that can be used to reset the BIOS. Shorting out these pins will automatically reset your BIOS. Remove the battery. Somewhere on your computer’s motherboard you will find a battery. It will look like a large watch battery. Removing it for about 10 minutes may do the trick and reset your BIOS. Overload the keyboard buffer. Some older systems can be reset by pressing the Esc key rapidly during boot or by unplugging both the keyboard and mouse before booting up. Use a service. As a last resort, you can use a professional service to crack the password.
2. What Should I Do If My Computer won’t boot? Make sure your power is working. As silly as this might sound, don’t forget to check that your power cord is plugged in properly. Check your wall socket and check the back of your PC. Inspect your power cord to make sure you don’t have a defective cord. If your computer has a “power on” light, make sure that it is on. Try turning the power switch on and off on your computer a few times. This action just might do the trick. Make sure your moniter is on. Just because you see nothing on the screen doesn’t mean that your computer is at fault. Check to make sure that your moniter is powered up and connected to your computer. Make sure your computer runs the power-on self test(POST). Look for any sort of output on your screen and a single beep. If you get the single beep, skip the next step. If not, then you may have some serious problems on your hands. Go to the next step. Unplug everything that plugs into your computer on the outside with the exception of the power cord. Try booting it up while listening for any beeps. If you hear a single beep, then something you unplugged must be causing a problem. If you hear no beep or multiple beeps,
then the problem is inside the computer. If you feel comfortable doing this, remove your computer’s side cover and remove the memory, processor, video card, all PCI cards, and drive cables. Now go ahead and plug everything back in and turn your computer back on. Did you get the single beep ? If you did get the single beep and your computer boots, you have fixed your problem. If not, you have a serious problem on your hands. Bring your computer to a qualified computer repair shop. Make sure that your hard drive is working correctly. A dead hard drive will certainly stop your computer in its tracks.
3. How Can I Recognize Id My Hard Drive Is Dying ? It is taking longer than usual for your device to get up and running. The hard disc is silent for long periods after you try to open a file or folder. Error messages appear much more frequently, particularly when you perform tasks such as copying, pasting, and deleting files and folders. Your files are missing or inaccessible. The contents of files are jumbled or you get irregular output when printing files.
4. What Should I Do If My Hard Drive Is Having Problems ? Run a BIOS checking utility. Most newer computers come with a utility in the BIOS that can scan for errors. The term for this is Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology (SMART) . Most modern hard drives come standard with this technology. Here are instructions on how to use these type of utilities. Your system may be little different. So,always doublecheck your documentation. Look for something that says “Press F10 for setup” or “Setup F2”. The exact Keystroke can vary from system to system. Once you are in the system BIOS, you should see a section called “utilities”. Once again, this can vary from system to system. Run any tests that are offered for hard drives. Use scanning software provided by your manufacturer. Most companies provide software that you can use on your drive to check it. Highly recommended is Western Digital’s Data Lifeguard Diagnostics.
5. What Should I Do If My Hard Drive Is completely Failed ? Use your “defibrillator” method. This might seem drastic, give it a try. First, unplug your computer. Then, remove your computer’s cover, yell “CLEAR!” and give the face of your hard drive a light tap with a screw driver or small hammer. Sometimes, this will give you a few more minutes for you and your hard drive to be together.
6. How Can I Help Prevent Hard Drive Failure ? Proper ventilation: Keep your device’s vents open and clear from debris. Properly cooling your device’s internal components is paramount. Physical impact: Don’t drop your device or subject it to severe shoc k. This can cause damage to the drive’s platters and reading heads. Voltage: Use a surge protector or UPS. This will prevent any voltage spikes or drops from damaging your computer. A small increase or drop in system voltage can wreak havoc in electonics. RAID: Purchase and install drive mirroring hardware. Basically, this is a card you install in your PC. You attach your current drive to this card and add another drive of equal or greater capacity. The card then creates a mirror image of the main drive on the fly. If your main drive dies, it switches over to the backup. This type of setup is highly recommended if the PC is being used for important tasks such as business uses.
Software Troubleshooting
AIM: To be given a malfunctioning CPU due to system software problems. They should identify the problem and fix it to get the computer back to working condition. 1. How do I fix Illegal Operations? Note:- An Illegal Operation is an operation requested to be performed by either the Operating System or CPU that is not understood and therefore is Illegal. Cause:- Illegal Operations can be caused by several different factors. The following is a listing of the more commonly known reasons for getting Illegal Operations. 1. TSR's or Third party programs causing memory conflicts or other types of conflicts with the program or programs attempting to be run. 2. Data not being read properly from source. Running a program or game with a dirty CD can cause the CD to be read improperly causing Illegal Operations. Floppy diskettes which may contain errors can cause illegal operations. 3. Installing a program or game on a hard disk drive that has errors or is highly fragmented. 4. Corrupt files. 5. Memory managers. 6. Bad, incorrect or not the latest video drivers. 7. Computer Virus. 8. Added hardware 9. Error in program coding 10. Corruption or problem within Windows. 11. Bad Memory, invalid bits or physically bad memory. Solution: TSR's or Third party programs: TSR's or Third party programs running in the background are one of the more commonly found reasons for Illegal Operations. If you are receiving an Illegal Operation when attempting to run a game or program it is recommend that you temporarily remove or disable programs running and TSR's running in the background, ensuring that these programs are not causing your issues. If, after removing these programs, you run the program or game and no longer receive the Illegal Operations, it is recommend that you reboot the computer and disable or End Task each program or TSR one at a time to attempt to determine which program is causing the Illegal Operation. Data not being read properly from source: When running a program or game from a CD you receive an Illegal Operation, verify that the CD is clean..
If you are running a game from a floppy diskette or other floppy media such as a zip diskette or LS120, verify that the diskette does not have physical errors with it by running a scandisk or a disk drive utility included with the drive. Installing a program or game on a hard disk drive that has errors or is highly fragmented: When installing a program or game onto a hard disk drive it is recommended if you receive errors after installing that program or game that you attempt to uninstall that program or game, run a scandisk, then a defrag, and finally attempt to install the program or game again. If errors exist on the hard disk drive, they will cause the program or game to run improperly and can cause Illegal Operations. Corrupt files: Corrupt, bad or missing files can cause Illegal Operations. It is recommended that you attempt to uninstall and or reinstall the program causing the Illegal Operation to verify that any corrupt, bad or missing files are replaced or repaired during the reinstallation. Memory managers: If you are running a memory manager that is used to obtain more memory or handle the computer memory in replace of Windows, it is recommended you temporarily disable or uninstall this program to verify it is not the memory manager causing the Illegal Operations. Bad, incorrect or not the latest video drivers: Bad, incorrect or not the latest video drivers may cause Illegal Operations when performing such tasks as moving the mouse or dragging data from one source to another as high demands are placed onto the video card. Attempt to decrease the video settings to 640 x 480, 256 colors to verify if the program or game being run is having errors because of the current video settings. If, after attempting to adjust the video settings, you still encounter the same issue, verify the computer is utilizing the latest video card drivers by visiting our Video drivers section. Computer Virus: Because computer viruses are loaded into memory and can change the data of program files when infecting a computer, ensure that a virus protection utility is installed on the computer and that you have the latest Virus Definition. Additional information about computer Viruses can be found at our Virus page. Added hardware: If added hardware has been recently installed onto the computer it is likely that either the hardware is conflicting with other hardware devices on the computer or that the drivers
used to install that hardware is causing issues with other hardware or software installed on the computer. If added hardware has recently been added to the computer, it is recommended that you temporarily remove that added hardware and the software associated with it to ensure it is not causing your issues. Error in program coding: If you are receiving Illegal Operations only when running a particular program, verify that the program is compatible with the Version of Windows you are running and ensure no available patches or software are available that may fix errors made during the development stages. Corruption or problem within Windows: Because Windows controls the memory operations as well as the file structure and association, it is possible for Windows or files associated with Windows to become corrupted, causing Illegal Operations or other errors. It is recommended you reinstall Windows if you are experiencing Illegal Operations in Windows or more than one program trying to be run on the computer. Bad Memory, invalid bits or physically bad memory: It is possible that bad memory can cause Illegal Operations. If you have recently added memory to the computer, it is recommended that it first be removed to verify that you are not experiencing conflicts with the recently installed memory. 2. My computer is running slow what steps can I do to fix it? Cause:
This issue can be caused by any of the following possibilities. 1. Hard disk drive is short on available disk space. 2. Several software programs have been installed/uninstalled leaving behind bad files and/or confusing the software. 3. Data Corruption. 4. Computer is overheating. 5. Bad Hardware. Solution: Below are steps for Microsoft Windows that should help speed up the computer or determine why the computer is running slow. 1. If you have a hard disk drive that is 2GB or smaller, ensure that there is at least 200MB of hard disk drive space free. If you have a hard drive larger than this size, verify that there is at least 500MB of free hard disk space. This available space allows the computer to have room for the swap file to increase in size as well as room for temporary files.. 2. Run Scandisk or something equivalent to help ensure that there is nothing physically wrong with the computer hard disk drive.
3. Run Defrag to help ensure that data is arranged in the best possible order. 4. Remove or disable any TSRs or programs that automatically start each time the computer boots. Verify that the device manager has no conflicts, but if conflicts are present, resolve them. 5. If you are using Microsoft Windows 95 or Windows 98 and do not plan on running any MS-DOS programs from MS-DOS, click Start / Run / type command and press enter. In the MS-DOS window type cd\ to get to C:\> then type "ren autoexec.bat autoexec.ch" and "ren config.sys config.ch". This will rename your autoexec.bat and config.sys and help make sure memory is being optimized through Windows. 6. If you have Windows XP try deleting all files in the prefetch directory. These are prefetch files and can lower system resources if loading programs no longer being used. See our prefetch definition for additional information about prefetch. 7. Try running through the basic troubleshooting steps for your operating system. Make sure your computer and processor is not overheating, excessive heat can cause a significant decrease in computer performance some processors will even lower the speed of the processor automatically to help compensate for the heat related issues. Additional information 3. How to fix an invalid page fault. NOTE: An invalid page fault is caused when the operating system or a software program attempts to store or call a segment or block of the computer's memory that does not exist. Because of the invalid call, the program will generate an invalid page fault error message and terminate the program or process to prevent additional issues. Cause: There are several possibilities that can cause an Invalid Page fault, the following are few of those possibilities. 1. Incompatibility or issue with the software programs. 2. Issues with the computer memory. Solution: Remove all TSRs: Disable or unload any TSRs or programs currently running before running the program causing the GPF. Delete all program temporary files: Delete all temporary files that may still be residing on the hard disk drive from currently or previously running programs. Run Scandisk / Defrag: Attempt to run scandisk / defrag on the hard disk drive as it could be possible your hard disk drive may have an issue causing the swap file or data files to become corrupt or invalid
4. How to fix a fatal exception error. Fatal exception error messages are generated when one of the following situations occur. Access to an illegal software instruction has occurred. Invalid data or code has been accessed. The privilege level of an operation is invalid.
When a Fatal exception is encountered the error will be in the following format: A fatal exception <YZ> has occurred at xxxx:xxxxxxxx In the above example of the fatal exception the YZ represents the actual processor exception, this can range from 00 to 0F. Each of theses processor exceptions are explained under Extended information. After the processor exception is the enhanced instruction pointer to the code segment and the 32-bit address. This is exactly where the error exception has occurred. Cause: Fatal exception errors are generally caused by programs' incompatibility, not written properly, heat related issues or other hardware / software issues. Because of the wide range of possibilities, we have created this document to help determine or resolve your issue. Solution: Remove all TSRs Disable or unload any TSRs or programs currently running before running the program or attempting to recreate the error. Delete all program temporary files Delete all temporary files that may still be residing on the hard disk drive from currently or previously running programs. Run Scandisk / Defrag Attempt to run scandisk / defrag on the hard disk drive as it could be possible your hard disk drive may have an issue causing the swap file or data files to become corrupt or invalid
AIM: To be given a PC that does not boot due to improper assembly or defective peripherals. They should identify the problem and fix it to get the computer back to working condition. 1. What Can I Do If I Forget My BIOS Password and I Can’t Access It? Use default passwords. Most BIOS manufacturers have a back-door password that can be used to bypass the password you put in place. A quick search on the web for “BIOS default passwords” will turn up hundreds. Use password cracking software. Some clever people have written programs that allow you to crack the BIOS password. Use the jumper. Most motherboard manufacturers provide you with a jumper on the motherboard that can be used to reset the BIOS. Shorting out these pins will automatically reset your BIOS. Remove the battery. Somewhere on your computer’s motherboard you will find a battery. It will look like a large watch battery. Removing it for about 10 minutes may do the trick and reset your BIOS. Overload the keyboard buffer. Some older systems can be reset by pressing the Esc key rapidly during boot or by unplugging both the keyboard and mouse before booting up. Use a service. As a last resort, you can use a professional service to crack the password.
2. What Should I Do If My Computer won’t boot? Make sure your power is working. As silly as this might sound, don’t forget to check that your power cord is plugged in properly. Check your wall socket and check the back of your PC. Inspect your power cord to make sure you don’t have a defective cord. If your computer has a “power on” light, make sure that it is on. Try turning the power switch on and off on your computer a few times. This action just might do the trick. Make sure your moniter is on. Just because you see nothing on the screen doesn’t mean that your computer is at fault. Check to make sure that your moniter is powered up and connected to your computer. Make sure your computer runs the power-on self test(POST). Look for any sort of output on your screen and a single beep. If you get the single beep, skip the next step. If not, then you may have some serious problems on your hands. Go to the next step. Unplug everything that plugs into your computer on the outside with the exception of the power cord. Try booting it up while listening for any beeps. If you hear a single beep, then something you unplugged must be causing a problem. If you hear no beep or multiple beeps,
then the problem is inside the computer. If you feel comfortable doing this, remove your computer’s side cover and remove the memory, processor, video card, all PCI cards, and drive cables. Now go ahead and plug everything back in and turn your computer back on. Did you get the single beep ? If you did get the single beep and your computer boots, you have fixed your problem. If not, you have a serious problem on your hands. Bring your computer to a qualified computer repair shop. Make sure that your hard drive is working correctly. A dead hard drive will certainly stop your computer in its tracks.
3. How Can I Recognize Id My Hard Drive Is Dying ? It is taking longer than usual for your device to get up and running. The hard disc is silent for long periods after you try to open a file or folder. Error messages appear much more frequently, particularly when you perform tasks such as copying, pasting, and deleting files and folders. Your files are missing or inaccessible. The contents of files are jumbled or you get irregular output when printing files.
4. What Should I Do If My Hard Drive Is Having Problems ? Run a BIOS checking utility. Most newer computers come with a utility in the BIOS that can scan for errors. The term for this is Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology (SMART) . Most modern hard drives come standard with this technology. Here are instructions on how to use these type of utilities. Your system may be little different. So,always doublecheck your documentation. Look for something that says “Press F10 for setup” or “Setup F2”. The exact Keystroke can vary from system to system. Once you are in the system BIOS, you should see a section called “utilities”. Once again, this can vary from system to system. Run any tests that are offered for hard drives. Use scanning software provided by your manufacturer. Most companies provide software that you can use on your drive to check it. Highly recommended is Western Digital’s Data Lifeguard Diagnostics.
5. What Should I Do If My Hard Drive Is completely Failed ? Use your “defibrillator” method. This might seem drastic, give it a try. First, unplug your computer. Then, remove your computer’s cover, yell “CLEAR!” and give the face of your hard drive a light tap with a screw driver or small hammer. Sometimes, this will give you a few more minutes for you and your hard drive to be together.
6. How Can I Help Prevent Hard Drive Failure ? Proper ventilation: Keep your device’s vents open and clear from debris. Properly cooling your device’s internal components is paramount. Physical impact: Don’t drop your device or subject it to severe shoc k. This can cause damage to the drive’s platters and reading heads. Voltage: Use a surge protector or UPS. This will prevent any voltage spikes or drops from damaging your computer. A small increase or drop in system voltage can wreak havoc in electonics. RAID: Purchase and install drive mirroring hardware. Basically, this is a card you install in your PC. You attach your current drive to this card and add another drive of equal or greater capacity. The card then creates a mirror image of the main drive on the fly. If your main drive dies, it switches over to the backup. This type of setup is highly recommended if the PC is being used for important tasks such as business uses.
Software Troubleshooting
AIM: To be given a malfunctioning CPU due to system software problems. They should identify the problem and fix it to get the computer back to working condition. 1. How do I fix Illegal Operations? Note:- An Illegal Operation is an operation requested to be performed by either the Operating System or CPU that is not understood and therefore is Illegal. Cause:- Illegal Operations can be caused by several different factors. The following is a listing of the more commonly known reasons for getting Illegal Operations. 1. TSR's or Third party programs causing memory conflicts or other types of conflicts with the program or programs attempting to be run. 2. Data not being read properly from source. Running a program or game with a dirty CD can cause the CD to be read improperly causing Illegal Operations. Floppy diskettes which may contain errors can cause illegal operations. 3. Installing a program or game on a hard disk drive that has errors or is highly fragmented. 4. Corrupt files. 5. Memory managers. 6. Bad, incorrect or not the latest video drivers. 7. Computer Virus. 8. Added hardware 9. Error in program coding 10. Corruption or problem within Windows. 11. Bad Memory, invalid bits or physically bad memory. Solution: TSR's or Third party programs: TSR's or Third party programs running in the background are one of the more commonly found reasons for Illegal Operations. If you are receiving an Illegal Operation when attempting to run a game or program it is recommend that you temporarily remove or disable programs running and TSR's running in the background, ensuring that these programs are not causing your issues. If, after removing these programs, you run the program or game and no longer receive the Illegal Operations, it is recommend that you reboot the computer and disable or End Task each program or TSR one at a time to attempt to determine which program is causing the Illegal Operation. Data not being read properly from source: When running a program or game from a CD you receive an Illegal Operation, verify that the CD is clean..
If you are running a game from a floppy diskette or other floppy media such as a zip diskette or LS120, verify that the diskette does not have physical errors with it by running a scandisk or a disk drive utility included with the drive. Installing a program or game on a hard disk drive that has errors or is highly fragmented: When installing a program or game onto a hard disk drive it is recommended if you receive errors after installing that program or game that you attempt to uninstall that program or game, run a scandisk, then a defrag, and finally attempt to install the program or game again. If errors exist on the hard disk drive, they will cause the program or game to run improperly and can cause Illegal Operations. Corrupt files: Corrupt, bad or missing files can cause Illegal Operations. It is recommended that you attempt to uninstall and or reinstall the program causing the Illegal Operation to verify that any corrupt, bad or missing files are replaced or repaired during the reinstallation. Memory managers: If you are running a memory manager that is used to obtain more memory or handle the computer memory in replace of Windows, it is recommended you temporarily disable or uninstall this program to verify it is not the memory manager causing the Illegal Operations. Bad, incorrect or not the latest video drivers: Bad, incorrect or not the latest video drivers may cause Illegal Operations when performing such tasks as moving the mouse or dragging data from one source to another as high demands are placed onto the video card. Attempt to decrease the video settings to 640 x 480, 256 colors to verify if the program or game being run is having errors because of the current video settings. If, after attempting to adjust the video settings, you still encounter the same issue, verify the computer is utilizing the latest video card drivers by visiting our Video drivers section. Computer Virus: Because computer viruses are loaded into memory and can change the data of program files when infecting a computer, ensure that a virus protection utility is installed on the computer and that you have the latest Virus Definition. Additional information about computer Viruses can be found at our Virus page. Added hardware: If added hardware has been recently installed onto the computer it is likely that either the hardware is conflicting with other hardware devices on the computer or that the drivers
used to install that hardware is causing issues with other hardware or software installed on the computer. If added hardware has recently been added to the computer, it is recommended that you temporarily remove that added hardware and the software associated with it to ensure it is not causing your issues. Error in program coding: If you are receiving Illegal Operations only when running a particular program, verify that the program is compatible with the Version of Windows you are running and ensure no available patches or software are available that may fix errors made during the development stages. Corruption or problem within Windows: Because Windows controls the memory operations as well as the file structure and association, it is possible for Windows or files associated with Windows to become corrupted, causing Illegal Operations or other errors. It is recommended you reinstall Windows if you are experiencing Illegal Operations in Windows or more than one program trying to be run on the computer. Bad Memory, invalid bits or physically bad memory: It is possible that bad memory can cause Illegal Operations. If you have recently added memory to the computer, it is recommended that it first be removed to verify that you are not experiencing conflicts with the recently installed memory. 2. My computer is running slow what steps can I do to fix it? Cause:
This issue can be caused by any of the following possibilities. 1. Hard disk drive is short on available disk space. 2. Several software programs have been installed/uninstalled leaving behind bad files and/or confusing the software. 3. Data Corruption. 4. Computer is overheating. 5. Bad Hardware. Solution: Below are steps for Microsoft Windows that should help speed up the computer or determine why the computer is running slow. 1. If you have a hard disk drive that is 2GB or smaller, ensure that there is at least 200MB of hard disk drive space free. If you have a hard drive larger than this size, verify that there is at least 500MB of free hard disk space. This available space allows the computer to have room for the swap file to increase in size as well as room for temporary files.. 2. Run Scandisk or something equivalent to help ensure that there is nothing physically wrong with the computer hard disk drive.
3. Run Defrag to help ensure that data is arranged in the best possible order. 4. Remove or disable any TSRs or programs that automatically start each time the computer boots. Verify that the device manager has no conflicts, but if conflicts are present, resolve them. 5. If you are using Microsoft Windows 95 or Windows 98 and do not plan on running any MS-DOS programs from MS-DOS, click Start / Run / type command and press enter. In the MS-DOS window type cd\ to get to C:\> then type "ren autoexec.bat autoexec.ch" and "ren config.sys config.ch". This will rename your autoexec.bat and config.sys and help make sure memory is being optimized through Windows. 6. If you have Windows XP try deleting all files in the prefetch directory. These are prefetch files and can lower system resources if loading programs no longer being used. See our prefetch definition for additional information about prefetch. 7. Try running through the basic troubleshooting steps for your operating system. Make sure your computer and processor is not overheating, excessive heat can cause a significant decrease in computer performance some processors will even lower the speed of the processor automatically to help compensate for the heat related issues. Additional information 3. How to fix an invalid page fault. NOTE: An invalid page fault is caused when the operating system or a software program attempts to store or call a segment or block of the computer's memory that does not exist. Because of the invalid call, the program will generate an invalid page fault error message and terminate the program or process to prevent additional issues. Cause: There are several possibilities that can cause an Invalid Page fault, the following are few of those possibilities. 1. Incompatibility or issue with the software programs. 2. Issues with the computer memory. Solution: Remove all TSRs: Disable or unload any TSRs or programs currently running before running the program causing the GPF. Delete all program temporary files: Delete all temporary files that may still be residing on the hard disk drive from currently or previously running programs. Run Scandisk / Defrag: Attempt to run scandisk / defrag on the hard disk drive as it could be possible your hard disk drive may have an issue causing the swap file or data files to become corrupt or invalid
4. How to fix a fatal exception error. Fatal exception error messages are generated when one of the following situations occur. Access to an illegal software instruction has occurred. Invalid data or code has been accessed. The privilege level of an operation is invalid.
When a Fatal exception is encountered the error will be in the following format: A fatal exception <YZ> has occurred at xxxx:xxxxxxxx In the above example of the fatal exception the YZ represents the actual processor exception, this can range from 00 to 0F. Each of theses processor exceptions are explained under Extended information. After the processor exception is the enhanced instruction pointer to the code segment and the 32-bit address. This is exactly where the error exception has occurred. Cause: Fatal exception errors are generally caused by programs' incompatibility, not written properly, heat related issues or other hardware / software issues. Because of the wide range of possibilities, we have created this document to help determine or resolve your issue. Solution: Remove all TSRs Disable or unload any TSRs or programs currently running before running the program or attempting to recreate the error. Delete all program temporary files Delete all temporary files that may still be residing on the hard disk drive from currently or previously running programs. Run Scandisk / Defrag Attempt to run scandisk / defrag on the hard disk drive as it could be possible your hard disk drive may have an issue causing the swap file or data files to become corrupt or invalid
